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Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

FastLane Assists Wicked Welding with Business Growth

With the help of: Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Ohio MEP)

About

Wicked Welding is a very small family-owned welding services company based in Dayton, Ohio. Wicked Welding offers microscopic GTA welding, laser beam welding, tool, mold and die repair welding, as well as laser engraving. They support the tooling, mold and die, medical, automotive, and aviation industries. 

The Challenge

Wicked Welding’s biggest challenge was stagnant sales growth due to a shrinking customer base. For many years, they have primarily supported an industrial tool-manufacturing base that had suffered from very slow growth. Sales for the past three to four years were barely keeping up with inflation. Many tool, mold and die manufacturers were barely surviving and almost all were forced to go offshore for new tooling. In the last 20 years, half are no longer in business.
FastLane's assistance has been essential to our business growth. I really enjoyed having someone who could understand my problems, who was nonjudgmental and was available to be a sounding board to bounce ideas off of. My manufacturing growth specialist has helped me to organize and prioritize my thoughts and ideas and as a result, our sales are growing and our employees are happier.
— Pete Mourouzis, Owner

MEP's Role

FastLane, part of the Ohio MEP and the MEP National Network™, provided a SWOT analysis and on-going consultations to help create a strategic plan for Wicked Welding. Today, the breadth and depth of jobs won is much wider. FastLane assisted Wicked Welding in applying for a Jobs Ohio Grant, which lead to the purchase of a larger computerized laser welder and other capital equipment, further increasing both capacity and capability which also resulted in the addition of one new employee.

FastLane also led a 5S event, maximizing the use of available space and avoiding the cost and trouble of having to relocate the company. In addition to empowering their people by building new processes internally, the 5S also removed clutter, reduced excess equipment and helped to create a more professional appearance.

Created August 4, 2022